Template:BPB7E

                            Public Relations

    [] This section can assist tremendously when you prepare to introduce
    your venture to its various public segments.

    [] "Now gongs and drums, banners and flags are used to focus the
    attention of the troops.  When the troops can be thus united, the brave
    cannot advance alone, nor can the cowardly withdraw.  This is the art
    of employing a host." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Objectives

Position (Company) at the leading edge in providing XXX (product/service for industry or market segment).

Increase (Company) awareness and name/brand recognition among managers/ buyers/customers in XXX (prospective companies/industries/markets).

Communicate on a regular basis with three target publics:

    [] Major trade, business, and local publication editorial staffs.

    [] Key management personnel in the existing customer companies.

    [] Employees and sales representative organizations.

Strategies

Develop a sustaining public relations effort, with ongoing contact between key editors and top-level personnel.

Develop a regular and consistent product/service update program for the major target medias, keeping key editors abreast of XXX enhancements and XXX new product/service introductions.

Develop an internal newsletter which can cover key sales successes, significant marketing and manufacturing events, technical support and product development stories. Internally, the newsletter would be targeted to all company personnel and sales representatives; externally the piece would be targeted to key customers and prospects.

Develop a minimum of four technical articles written by key executives to be placed in XXX and XXX (publications) within the next XXX months.

Establish contact with editorial staffs for the purpose of being included in product "round-ups" - product/service comparisons vis-a-vis Consumer Reports where competing products/services are compared. This exposure builds credibility and market acceptance.

    [] See "Bacon's Publicity Checker" at your local library for a
    directory of publications and editors suited to your business purposes.

Company Backgrounder

Produce a complete company backgrounder on (Company) to be used as the primary public relations tool for all target media editorial contact. This is also effective for inclusion in press kits, dealer kits and sales packages. The backgrounder would include sections on the following broad subjects:

    [] Overview of the Market: size; characteristics.

    [] The Market need in 19XX, present & future.

    [] The Company
       History
       Management Philosophy
       Brief sketches of Top Executives

    [] The Products/Services.
       Market niches

Major Sales Announcements

Major contract agreements representing sales volumes of over $XXX should be written up and released to selected media as soon as practical after the signing of papers. Ideally, these would be joint announcements. Concurrently, a shortened version of the release should be mailed to all internal and external sales organizations.

Press Releases

Develop a series of press releases on the entire product line/service area. Prepare press releases for each new product/service introduction, technical development, participation in a major event, awards/recognition for product/personnel excellence/performance, etc.

    [] Include an 8x10 black & white glossy photo of your product or of an
    interesting demo of your service - editors will likely pick up your
    news release sooner with a photo.

Editorial Visitations

Over the next XXX months invite the most influential reporters and editors from XXX and XXX (publication and or broadcast media names) for a visit to (Company). During the visit, each of the editors would receive a complete facility tour, product briefing, and an opportunity to interview the chairman, president, product designer and marketing manager. If logistics or timing is a problem with the interviews, then these could possibly be arranged at the major trade shows.

Trade Shows

Use trade shows as another method for maintaining a high profile with the editors of key target media. If a major product/service announcement is feasible at one of the shows, care should be taken to plan the announcement well in advance. However, since the major publications send their editors to the major shows, an opportunity exists to schedule, in advance, key personnel with selected reporters and editors. These mini-interviews can be used in lieu of the above described editorial visit, or as opportunities to give editors a company or product update from a chief executive's point of view.

Internal/External Newsletter

Produce a four-page, black-and-white (2-color/4-color) newsletter to serve as an informational piece for internal personnel, the sales force, and key customers. Include sections covering each major department or organization within (Company) (Sales, Marketing, Manufacturing, R&D) and a message from the executive staff. Highlight major developments such as XXX (key sales stories, successful customer applications/uses/ installations, significant marketing events, and product development news). �